I have just bought a babia gaggia and have probably gone through as much kitchen cleaning product as coffee. When I turn it on it sprays coffee from the sides. I tried tampering it aggressively , loosely and not at all and I've also tried using Illy and lavazza coffee. An aggressively tampered Illy appears to be the least problematic though only marginally which is troubling as I have no intention of sticking with one type of coffee.Is it a defective machine or are there a number of gaggia tricks that I can use to resolve this issue? I would very much appreciate any advice on this rather frustrating problemMany thanks

Hi there,just a guess here but you might be using too much coffee in the coffee basket and maybe also not engaging the portafilter all the way in the group , nice and tight.If you are using the single bascket try to use 8 g of coffee, this way you'll know that you are not using too much. Also close the portafilter as tight as you can.Another problem could be a dent in the busket , in the area that should seal around the inside of the head.Have a good look at it.

Be sure you're using the little black rubber "frothing jet device," in the bottom of the portafilter, if you're using one of the "perfect crema" (single hole in the bottom--hold it up to a light) baskets, and be sure you're not using it, if you're using a "regular" (lots of holes in the bottom) basket.

As dramatic as this is, it might be better to actually describe the problem. If a Gaggia is spraying coffee from the sides, then your problem is serious. The gaggia has seams in the sides of the machine through which coffee should never spray. If you mean that the cross-drilled hole in the dispenser on the bottom of the portafilter is spraying steam-propelled coffee out sideways, that is very different, and is an indication that your boiler is way too hot, perhaps overheating due to a bad thermostat, cracked element or brewing with/immediately after steam-button used.If you mean coffee is escaping between the machine and the porta filter and splashing about, then believe the filter suggestions, portafilter installation tightness suggestions and replace the group gasket.

I'm having trouble picturing where any of you guys have spray coming from.

2 things may be relevant here: 1) I have a backflushing basket that's simply a normal basket completely sealed over. I use it to backflush the machine of course, which is to say it forces water through the 3-way solenoid when I turn the pump off after pretending to pull a shot. The whole time during this the machine is maxed out for pressure, around 165psi by the gage I've added. Nothing sprays anywhere even under that kind of pressure. With coffee in the basket, even finely ground and tightly packed, you shouldn't be seeing spraying. 2) I have worked on a number of Gaggias from ebay, in all sorts of sad conditions whan I got them. After any repair I always torture tested things to make sure they worked correctly - no loose hoses or anything else to worry about. Even left to heat for a couple hours and pulling shots I never had any leaking.

I guess what I'm saying is - having it turned on for a long time, or having finely ground coffee plugging the basket - neither of these should cause any spraying.

I'm having trouble picturing where any of you guys have spray coming from.

2 things may be relevant here: 1) I have a backflushing basket that's simply a normal basket completely sealed over. I use it to backflush the machine of course, which is to say it forces water through the 3-way solenoid when I turn the pump off after pretending to pull a shot. The whole time during this the machine is maxed out for pressure, around 165psi by the gage I've added. Nothing sprays anywhere even under that kind of pressure. With coffee in the basket, even finely ground and tightly packed, you shouldn't be seeing spraying. 2) I have worked on a number of Gaggias from ebay, in all sorts of sad conditions whan I got them. After any repair I always torture tested things to make sure they worked correctly - no loose hoses or anything else to worry about. Even left to heat for a couple hours and pulling shots I never had any leaking.

I guess what I'm saying is - having it turned on for a long time, or having finely ground coffee plugging the basket - neither of these should cause any spraying.

My issue is with the Gaggia Classic. It has worked fine for probably 8 years. I love it. now for some reason when i'm pulling a shot it sprays sideways (sometimes one side, sometimes the other) from between the portafilter and where it sits. I have done research and it's been suggested i replace the gasket. I did that as well as i replaced the screen. I changed the portafilter for an old one i had (the handle was broken).

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